Page 171 of Matteo

“Story of my life,” I say, letting out a bitter laugh.

“How about you tell me what's going on?”

So I do. I stop and lean back against the countertop while he sits down and then I tell him.

I don’t tell him everything. I don't tell him about the tech glitches at work or about Vlad, but I tell him enough.

That Matteo and I had a disagreement—that's what I call it. I tell Arthur that Matteo thinks I did something I didn't. That somebody at work is accusing me of something I had no part in. And the man I care about doesn't trust me.

He listens the whole time, without interrupting.

“I don't know how to fix it, Arthur,” I say, at the end.

He takes his spectacles off, then cleans them on his woolen jumper. “Sounds to me like you're carrying a lot on your own, like you always do. And you've also got a habit of assuming you have to solve everything yourself.”

I open my mouth to argue, but close it again, because he's right.

“But I don't know what to do,” I say, again.

“Start with the truth. Whatever you're being accused of, find the truth, and uncover that. I suspect what complicates it is that beau of yours, not believing you, but I have a feeling that you know how to fight your corner, because you’re a fighter, Lizzie. Not a flower, and I mean that in the best possible way. Do what you have to do, and everything will work out.” He sounds so convinced. So full of faith.

I wring my hands together. “I don't know.”

“You will fix it. Lizzie. Because for as long as I've known you, that's what you always do. You keep going. You keep doing. Despite everything, you've never let anything stop you, kiddo.”

He knows about my foster care, and that I've been broke and that I’ve had particularly lean times in my life. He knows that I started a company that wasn't doing well. He knows how stressed I was about the Knight Enterprises interview.

He's seen that I survived.

And I will survive this too.

I hug him, thank him, wash the dishes, then go back to my apartment.

Just before I get into bed, I sit on the edge of it, thinking about tomorrow.

Another day at the tech lab.

This time, though, I’ll walk in with my head held high, my shoulders back, my chin up. Because I know the truth, and I’m done letting other people write my future for me.

Chapter 41

MATTEO

It was late by the time I got home last night. I crashed out on my bed, still wearing the clothes I’d travelled in when I left Mama.

I had lots of missed phone calls and texts from Rio and Enzo. They wanted to know about my visit, about Mama and 'everything else', so we’re all having lunch now. It's at a nice little steakhouse near the offices.

It’s supposed to be a great opportunity to catch up with them, but my mind is all over the place.

I can't focus and I don't know what to do about the kidney, about Elizabeth. I thought I’d made a decision about the kidney by the time I left Mama, but so much has happened in the time I've been back, that I’m confused all over again.

Complications at work. The dynamics and suspicion. Not knowing who I can trust. Alex isn’t happy because he thinks I'm treating Elizabeth differently.

No wonder I'm having second thoughts about donating a part of my body to the old man. Mama's wisdom seems to have vanished along with every morsel of peace I had known.

I’m also not entirely sure that Elizabeth is responsible. Something doesn’t fully add up. It’s too convenient that she was out of the lab, out of the country, when she was implicated.

It’s too perfect.